IN YOUR OPINION

Letters to the Editor for Jan. 26, 2013

Published: Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 25, 2013 at 7:26 p.m.

To the residents of Silver Springs Shores: Our lovely neighborhood has been hit with an epidemic. It is one that affects the health of the community. It isn't an outbreak of influenza virus!

Instead, it is an outbreak of code violations.

As we look around, we see an increase in homeowners' and renters' practices that have undermined the beauty and value of our properties.

Are you a good neighbor? Do you keep your yard and porches free of trash and discarded items? Do you keep your family sounds and music contained to your home or yard? Do you keep your grass cut and weeds pulled? Do you train your dog to not bark at every passerby?

If so, you are doing a good job.

Let's all work together to be good neighbors. Well-maintained properties attract others who are interested in the same.

Please remedy all problems before citations must be issued. We can then get on the road to recovery.

Mabel Walker

Silver Springs Shores

Keep 'em locked up

So I woke up in the morning and heard some noise. When I looked out the window, I saw a bright red sign that said “State Prisoners Working Ahead.”

That is the most absurd thing they could do. First of all, this is in a residential area. Secondly, these people are all taken off the streets for a reason — they should not be allowed out until they're free. The third reason is the state complains about unemployment, yet these jobs could be given to the good-standing public that serves the community.

At no time should these people be in a community. They have work farms. Keep the criminals caged. Offer the public these jobs so we can afford to live.

Jamie Gibbs

Ocala

Embassy security

If we take American troops out of Germany and South Korea, whose citizens we already pay and feed and clothe, and put a thousand of them in each embassy, we should have no further problems at no additional expense.

I actually see no need for an embassy in a country that hates us, but since this is President Barack Obama's secret wish for his legacy to have global peace, this is what we get. Never mind that we need all the money he gives to all these countries.

L. H. Lee

Ocala

Cover-up complete

Well, we have celebrated the coronation of the second coming of the Messiah, and on Wednesday we watched the Mother of the Messiah on TV talking about nothing. This has to be the biggest waste of time and money yet for a country on the verge of bankruptcy.

We should have known from the beginning that nothing would ever come from this investigation. But I am glad I learned that George Bush was responsible for Benghazi.

The cover-up is complete and has been well rehearsed over the months. However, this woman could well be our next president. OMG. I am glad I am old and will not be here to see what is coming.

Pat Lee

Ocala

Dysfunctional

Unfortunately, the president has to bypass Congress since it is so ineffective. With a slight Republican majority, it would rather throw the whole country under the bus than pass anything that would make any president of the opposing party look good.

What has Congress accomplished over the years? It has granted itself automatic raises, better health care, extended vacations, generous perks and salary for life after retirement. It exempts itself from the laws it makes for the rest of us. It doesn't participate in Social Security and makes only those who make $106,000 or less pay on their whole salary.

It has robbed the Social Security Trust Fund to use for other programs. It has promised better-than-average salary and benefits to all government employees to be paid for by the taxpayer. It doesn't mind sending taxpayer money to 106 other countries as foreign aid, even though most of those countries don't even like us.

The Republicans have shown their only interest is in protecting the rich who can contribute to their re-elections and the NRA, which tries to tell us that the Second Amendment means that instead of maintaining a well-regulated militia (who were armed with muskets) anyone has the right to collect a personal arsenal of semi-automatic weapons which no one needs for hunting or self-defense.

And instead of eliminating the possibility of someone killing dozens of people in a matter of seconds, they would suggest arming more people to protect the vulnerable at malls, movie theaters, workplaces and turning the schools into fortresses where children have to be reminded every day of the violent society we live in.

Julie Pawlak

Ocala

The price paid

Now that all is said and done, I hope Melissa Cook and Dan Kuhn are proud of themselves. They threw away their dignity, respect and jobs for a highly publicized affair, and so many others have paid a price for it.

Why would people in their positions want the whole town to know they had an affair? And then Mrs. Cook's husband sits and holds her hand like she is the trophy prize for what she did. And what was it all for? I suppose that's politics for you!

I understand the ethics code of conduct in the Marion County Sheriff's Office, but how do you tell the big chief that your supervisor is having an affair without some type of repercussion hitting you in the face?

The case of the two officers receiving the punishment for what they didn't say is totally unfair, and they were put in a position of “darned if you do” and “darned if you don't.”

<p><b>Shores code epidemic</b></p><p>To the residents of Silver Springs Shores: Our lovely neighborhood has been hit with an epidemic. It is one that affects the health of the community. It isn't an outbreak of influenza virus!</p><p>Instead, it is an outbreak of code violations.</p><p>As we look around, we see an increase in homeowners' and renters' practices that have undermined the beauty and value of our properties.</p><p>Are you a good neighbor? Do you keep your yard and porches free of trash and discarded items? Do you keep your family sounds and music contained to your home or yard? Do you keep your grass cut and weeds pulled? Do you train your dog to not bark at every passerby?</p><p>If so, you are doing a good job.</p><p>Let's all work together to be good neighbors. Well-maintained properties attract others who are interested in the same.</p><p>Please remedy all problems before citations must be issued. We can then get on the road to recovery.</p><p><i>Mabel Walker</p><p>Silver Springs Shores</i></p><p><b>Keep 'em locked up</b></p><p>So I woke up in the morning and heard some noise. When I looked out the window, I saw a bright red sign that said “State Prisoners Working Ahead.”</p><p>That is the most absurd thing they could do. First of all, this is in a residential area. Secondly, these people are all taken off the streets for a reason — they should not be allowed out until they're free. The third reason is the state complains about unemployment, yet these jobs could be given to the good-standing public that serves the community.</p><p>At no time should these people be in a community. They have work farms. Keep the criminals caged. Offer the public these jobs so we can afford to live.</p><p><i>Jamie Gibbs</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Embassy security</b></p><p>If we take American troops out of Germany and South Korea, whose citizens we already pay and feed and clothe, and put a thousand of them in each embassy, we should have no further problems at no additional expense.</p><p>I actually see no need for an embassy in a country that hates us, but since this is President Barack Obama's secret wish for his legacy to have global peace, this is what we get. Never mind that we need all the money he gives to all these countries.</p><p><i>L. H. Lee</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Cover-up complete</b></p><p>Well, we have celebrated the coronation of the second coming of the Messiah, and on Wednesday we watched the Mother of the Messiah on TV talking about nothing. This has to be the biggest waste of time and money yet for a country on the verge of bankruptcy.</p><p>We should have known from the beginning that nothing would ever come from this investigation. But I am glad I learned that George Bush was responsible for Benghazi.</p><p>The cover-up is complete and has been well rehearsed over the months. However, this woman could well be our next president. OMG. I am glad I am old and will not be here to see what is coming.</p><p><i>Pat Lee</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Dysfunctional</b></p><p>Unfortunately, the president has to bypass Congress since it is so ineffective. With a slight Republican majority, it would rather throw the whole country under the bus than pass anything that would make any president of the opposing party look good.</p><p>What has Congress accomplished over the years? It has granted itself automatic raises, better health care, extended vacations, generous perks and salary for life after retirement. It exempts itself from the laws it makes for the rest of us. It doesn't participate in Social Security and makes only those who make $106,000 or less pay on their whole salary.</p><p>It has robbed the Social Security Trust Fund to use for other programs. It has promised better-than-average salary and benefits to all government employees to be paid for by the taxpayer. It doesn't mind sending taxpayer money to 106 other countries as foreign aid, even though most of those countries don't even like us.</p><p>The Republicans have shown their only interest is in protecting the rich who can contribute to their re-elections and the NRA, which tries to tell us that the Second Amendment means that instead of maintaining a well-regulated militia (who were armed with muskets) anyone has the right to collect a personal arsenal of semi-automatic weapons which no one needs for hunting or self-defense. </p><p>And instead of eliminating the possibility of someone killing dozens of people in a matter of seconds, they would suggest arming more people to protect the vulnerable at malls, movie theaters, workplaces and turning the schools into fortresses where children have to be reminded every day of the violent society we live in.</p><p><i>Julie Pawlak</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>The price paid</b></p><p>Now that all is said and done, I hope Melissa Cook and Dan Kuhn are proud of themselves. They threw away their dignity, respect and jobs for a highly publicized affair, and so many others have paid a price for it.</p><p>Why would people in their positions want the whole town to know they had an affair? And then Mrs. Cook's husband sits and holds her hand like she is the trophy prize for what she did. And what was it all for? I suppose that's politics for you!</p><p>I understand the ethics code of conduct in the Marion County Sheriff's Office, but how do you tell the big chief that your supervisor is having an affair without some type of repercussion hitting you in the face? </p><p>The case of the two officers receiving the punishment for what they didn't say is totally unfair, and they were put in a position of “darned if you do” and “darned if you don't.”</p><p><i>Sylvia Kleber</p><p>Ocala</i></p>